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The home of Mariners ace Felix Hernandez was burglarized in November as part of a burglary spree that hit more than 100 homes in the Seattle area. Cash and other high-end items like jewelry were taken.

Bellevue (Washington) police announced Wednesday that they had apprehended suspects connected to the string of burglaries and that authorities recovered some of the stolen merchandise. One of the suspects was wearing Hernandez's watch at the time of their arrest. Notice the "King Felix" inscription:

Other pieces of jewelry belonging to Hernandez were recovered as well, including his 2000 Yankees World Series ring. Wait, what?

Yes, Hernandez apparently owns a 2000 World Series rin (kind of, more on that in a minute). The Yankees beat the Mets in five games that year. To the photo evidence:

I originally had questions:

  1. How did Hernandez get his hands on a 2000 World Series ring? Was it given to him as a gift or did he buy it?
  2. When did Felix acquire said ring? He didn't sign with the Mariners as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela until 2002, when he was 16 years old.
  3. Does Hernandez have other World Series rings, Yankees or otherwise? How big is his sports memorabilia collection?
  4. Is it weird for a franchise player to own another team's World Series ring when he never played for that team and is still an active player?

The Yankees won four World Series titles in five years from 1996-2000, and the 2000 rings are said to be among the rarest. The team simply handed out fewer and fewer each year, so they're not easy to find.

It's common to engrave the recipient's name on the inside of a World Series ring, so a better photo angle might have revealed the original owner of Hernandez's ring. Alas.

Important Update!: According to Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News, the 2000 World Series ring is a replica given out by the Yankees as part of a promotion at Yankee Stadium in 2015. From Mazzeo:

On July 19, 2015, Hernandez threw six innings of one-run ball in the Bronx, but was ultimately forced to settle for a no-decision in a 2-1 Yankees victory.

The first 18,000 fans 14 or younger that day received a replica 2000 Yankees World Series ring presented by Betteridge Jewelers. And it appears that same replica ring, which can be purchased for a buy-it-now price of $23.39 on eBay, was recovered by police and entered into evidence.

Well, that is far less interesting than Felix owning an original 2000 World Series ring, isn't it?

Apopros of nothing: I happened to be at that game and I received the same giveaway replica ring:

Small world.